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00:03 About an hour from Tokyo, the city of Yokohama
00:15 lies on the Pacific coast.
00:16 Japan's gateway to the world, Yokohama
00:23 grew into a great port.
00:27 It's a fine place to visit, full of attractions,
00:32 including magnificent parks and gardens.
00:34 The city's many 19th century foreign residents
00:43 shaped the layout of its streets and left
00:45 a unique architectural legacy.
00:47 These striking old red brick customs warehouses,
00:57 now provide a venue for public events.
00:59 Yokohama's Chinatown is famous, with hundreds of restaurants.
01:07 Above all, Yokohama is a port, a city
01:12 on the sea whose residents enjoy water sports and marine
01:16 attractions.
01:16 At night, the whole city lights up,
01:23 the port area's illuminations backed
01:25 by the lights of office towers.
01:29 It's an unforgettable view.
01:31 Yokohama continues to play an important international role,
01:39 hosting conventions from all over the world,
01:42 like this conference on African development.
01:44 The city promotes many programs aimed at preserving
01:52 its marine environment.
01:56 Yokohama boasts Japan's largest aquarium.
01:58 A transparent tunnel through the gigantic main tank
02:05 puts you right down there on the ocean floor
02:08 with its teeming marine life.
02:09 In a joint program with Yokohama City,
02:14 the aquarium teaches children about
02:16 marine environmental issues.
02:18 Do you know any other problems facing the oceans?
02:21 Garbage.
02:22 Yes, that's a big problem.
02:23 The children examine and discuss garbage
02:28 collected from the seashore.
02:30 In another program, children feed and care for marine animals.
02:35 When I saw how cute these sea animals are,
02:42 that really made me want to come back.
02:44 When I saw how cute these sea animals are,
02:47 that really made me understand how bad it is to pollute the ocean.
02:51 We must stop dumping our waste in the sea
02:54 because it harms all the creatures living there.
02:56 This city's environmental programs are varied and extensive.
03:03 The Oka River that runs through the heart of Yokohama
03:11 is now a favourite spot for water sports.
03:13 (WATER SPLASHES)
03:15 These boards are simple enough for anyone to use,
03:20 and paddling downstream to the sea offers unique views of the city.
03:23 Until recently, however, this river was far too polluted
03:32 to allow such pastimes.
03:33 When I was a child, before the pollution,
03:39 we used to play in boats on this river.
03:42 Now, at last, we've cleaned it up,
03:44 and once again it's become a place for both children and adults
03:46 to enjoy the water.
03:48 Ten years ago,
03:52 the local community persuaded the city to build keys for access to the river.
03:57 People enthusiastically began using the river again for leisure activities.
04:05 Seeing up close how dirty the water had become,
04:11 the locals organised and cleaned it up.
04:13 The desire to enjoy the river has been the impetus
04:19 driving many environmental programs.
04:22 The port city of Yokohama.
04:27 The sea made it great, and the sea is its future.
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